Performance Unlimited Blog

Technology is a wonderful thing or, at least, it can be wonderful. The key to technology is to use it the right way – to use it safely. The microwave is quite a convenience when we want to heat a meal quickly. We all know, however, that it tends to backfire if we try to cook that meal in a metal pan. The same principle holds true with cellular phones. Auto manufacturers have spent untold hours and dollars looking for ways to knock even a fraction of a second off of the braking time of the vehicles they manufacture. The point is that, in an emergency situation, fractions of a second count. It’s also true of emergency driving situations that we usually don’t have a lot of warning. If we knew a truck would blow a stop sign and cross our path at 65 mph, we’d reduce our speed long before there was a potential collision. But, in an emergency, we don’t know the truck driver isn’t paying attention to the stop sign. These critical fractions of a second can mean the difference between a relativ...

Mike is mechanically inclined. He’s worked in the trades for years. You could say he has turned a wrench or two in his time. So, when his car began acting up while he was on vacation in the rolling hills and mountains out West last week, Mike was fairly confident he had correctly identified the root of the problem. Considering all the steep inclines he and his wife had traveled on their trip, Mike was convinced the problem was in the transmission. The car’s transmission seemed to slip, particularly when climbing hills. So, Mike and his wife stopped at a library in one of the small towns they passed through. On the Internet, Mike described the symptoms to an auto repair tips Web site. He was more than mildly surprised when the response came back: “Your spark plugs are bad.” “That can’t be,” Mike said to his wife and they drove on. But, the problem persisted and seemed as though it was getting worse. At last, he was compelled by the severity of the issue, as well as by his wife’s subtle...

At long last, the rain has come to the Midwest again. While it may be too late for the corn crop, most, if not all, of us in these parts welcome the rain with open arms. It’s been a long, hot, dry summer. With the return of the rain, it’s also time to adjust our driving a bit. It’s not just that the rain offers less friction on the pavement for braking and control, it’s also the oil that rises to the top of the rain-slicked road. The rains help to wash away the oils that drip onto the road from passing vehicles. However, with as little rain as we’ve seen this summer, those oils have built up more than usual; the rain will have to work a little harder to wash the oils away. In the meantime, when it does rain, the roads are a little slicker than usual. With good tires and a little caution, most of us will be fine. In fact, there’s no need to overreact. It’s not as though we speaking of an ice-covered road in midwinter. Inevitably, however, more accidents will occur under rainy condition...

How often do you conduct a safety walk around on your vehicle? You may recall that, when you studied The Rules of the Road in preparation for that first driver’s license exam, in days gone by, you were told to check your lights and turn signals every time you went for a drive. Today, the booklet merely states that each car must have this equipment and that it must work properly. Let’s see a show of hands: How many of you actually give your vehicle a safety check before you drive? How many of you have ever given your car a safety check? That’s what I thought. The truth is that we get in and go, don’t we? Somewhere, in the back of our minds, we’re thinking, “What are the odds one of our lights or a turn signal is out?” Well, the odds aren’t as long as you might think. Eventually, all bulbs burn out. It’s just a matter of time. Of course, we know that and we further adjust the odds by adding the squad-car-factor, which goes something like this: “What are the odds that one of our lights o...

When a company stands behind its products and services everybody wins. When that reputation for quality is matched by a written warranty customers have a sense of security and confidence. People who bring their cars in to Ringwood based Performance Unlimited have come to realize that the word of owner Denny Norton has value. When Norton returns the keys to a customer after work is completed, his reputation follows that customer down the road. Performance Unlimited prefers to get the work done right the first time but, if there is ever a problem, they’re ready to make it right. For years now, along with his reputation, Norton has sent customers down the road with a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty in their glove boxes. That will carry them quite a ways. Now, however, Performance Unlimited is able to double the warranty. “Now, we can warranty most parts and services twice as long and far as we did before,” Norton said. “Now, if someone has a problem related to a repair we’ve completed, the...